Alleged N2bn Fraud: Sirika violated due process in award of Nigeria Air contracts — Witness

The trial of former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, continued on Wednesday before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja, with a prosecution witness alleging that the former minister breached due process in the award of contracts linked to the controversial Nigeria Air project.

The 12th prosecution witness (PW12), Christopher Odofin, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told the court that Sirika awarded a N299 million consultancy contract and an additional N599 million contract extension to Tianaero Nigeria Limited without following laid-down procurement procedures.

Sirika is standing trial alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika; his son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule; and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited on amended six-count charges bordering on abuse of office and the alleged misappropriation of more than N2 billion in public funds.

While giving evidence, Odofin disclosed that the first contract award letter to Tianaero Nigeria Limited for consultancy services on Nigeria Air was dated April 4, 2022, while the second contract award letter was issued on April 6, 2022.

According to him, investigations revealed that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development had written to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) on March 7, 2022, requesting a Certificate of No Objection for the engagement of consultants on the project. However, the BPP’s response was dated April 6, 2022 and was officially received by the ministry on April 7, 2022.

Odofin told the court that the contract had already been awarded before the ministry received the BPP’s approval.

“Before the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development received a response from the BPP, the contract award letter had already been issued to Tianaero Nigeria Limited,” he said.

The witness further alleged that the BPP was not informed at all regarding the award of the second contract, describing the process as a complete violation of procurement procedures.

He also identified Tianaero Nigeria Limited as a company owned by a German national, Gabriel Tilmann, whom he described as a close friend and associate of the former minister.

Odofin further testified that both contract sums were paid in full to the company despite the absence of any operational national carrier under the Nigeria Air project.

According to him, the N299 million consultancy contract was paid in four tranches between May 1 and July 22, 2022 into the company’s Access Bank account, while the N599 million contract extension was settled in two instalments between October and December 2022 through the company’s Guaranty Trust Bank account.

The witness also told the court that Tianaero Nigeria Limited had existed for barely one year before it was awarded the contracts.

“It is important to state that Tianaero Nigeria Limited was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission on March 29, 2021, barely one year before these contracts were awarded,” he said.

Meanwhile, a compact disc said to contain a verbal directive allegedly issued by Sirika to the ministry’s permanent secretary, instructing him to ensure that the contracts were awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited, could not be played in court due to technical issues.

The court subsequently deferred the presentation of the recording.

Justice Oriji adjourned the matter until July 8 and 9, 2026, for the continuation of trial.Source: Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).